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Chapter 37
Special Consideration for Pediatric and Geriatrics
Term | Definition |
---|---|
neonate | a child from birth to one month of age |
infant | a child between the ages of one month and two years |
pharmscokinetics | the study of the process of absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion of drugs |
absorption | the process by which a drug enters the bloodstream |
intramuscular (IM) | within or into a muscle |
pH | a scale that measures the alkalinity or acidity of a substance; 7 is the neutral point on this scale (less than 7 is acidic and greater than 7 is alkaline) |
water-soluble | dissolve in water; describes drugs that are composed mostly of water and can be excreted by the kidneys |
lipid-solube | dissovable in fats; describes drug that pass readily into cell membrane composed mostly of fatty substance, such as the brain |
distribution | the process by which a drug reaches the various organs and tissues of the body |
metabolism | the chemical alteration of drugs, food, or foreign compounds in and by the body |
excretion | the elimination of a drug from the body; usually occurs through urine, feces, or the respiratory system |
asthma | a respiratory disease characterized by wheezing, shortness of breath, and bronchoconstriction |
geriatric | refers to persons over the age of 65 |
side effects | drug effects other then the intended one; usually undesirable but not harmful |
half-life | the amount of time it takes the body to break down and excrete one-half of a drug dosage |
toxicity | drug poisoning; can be life-threatening or extremely harmful |
noncompliance | when a patient does not follow a prescribed drug regimen |
polypharmacy | the administrations of more medication than clinically indicated |